Which level of editing is right for you?

---

 What it is: Developmental editing is a creative partnership in which the editor takes you from “I’m writing a book” to “I wrote a book.”

Who you are: You’re a great writer. Or maybe you’re a subject matter expert who’s a pretty good writer. Or maybe you’re not such a great writer but you know a lot of stuff that you want to share with the world.

What your book looks like: You’ve just finished writing and doing all the self-editing you feel comfortable with. You probably know you have some issues with organization, continuity, or repetition, but you’re banging your head against a wall trying to figure out how to fix them.

How I’ll help: I’ll read your manuscript several times and help organize and streamline your thoughts and writing. 

What this step doesn’t include: Writing. That’s up to you. It also doesn’t include proofreading because we’re working with the forest here, not the trees. 

Time estimate: 2-4 weeks for the first round plus 1-4 weeks for each additional round

 What it is: Line editing is the red pen stuff. It ensures you’re saying exactly what you want to say in the best way possible.

Who you are: You’re a great writer. Or you’re a pretty good writer who’s had some friends edit your book. 

What your book looks like: It’s locked in terms of content. Your structure is solid, and you’re as concise as possible. You don’t have any glaring plot holes or omissions, and you’re not looking to make major changes.

How I’ll help: I’ll polish your sentences and rewrite them where necessary to ensure everything sounds exactly how you want it to sound. I’ll flag any inconsistencies I find and make suggestions to improve tone, flow, and style.

What this step doesn’t include: Major changes to structure, major cuts, or writing. 

Time estimate:  2-4 weeks

 What it is: Copyediting is just proofreading of an unfinished book. Whereas proofreading is the final step and is mainly to check for typos and small errors, copyediting also looks for any lingering errors or errors that may have been inadvertently introduced in the line editing or developmental editing stages.

Who you are: You’re an author with a book that’s almost ready for publication.

What your book looks like: It’s pretty close to perfect at this point. It’s likely been through developmental editing and/or line editing, and you’ve read it so many times you kind of want to throw up.

How I’ll help: I’ll find all the remaining typos and little grammatical things that only nerds with intense knowledge of the Chicago Manual of Style know about. 

What this step doesn’t include: Rewriting or major changes to content or sentence structure.

Time estimate: 1-3 weeks  

 What it is: Proofreading is the final read-through to catch all remaining typos and little errors before publication.

Who you are: You’re an author who is so ready to just publish this book already.

What your book looks like: It’s practically perfect. It’s been through several rounds of editing. You’ve read it so many times you’re pretty sure there are no remaining errors, but you want to be absolutely positive.

How I’ll help: I’ll scour your manuscript for any typos or remaining errors.

What this step doesn’t include: This is just a final read-through, so there are no changes to content, structure, or sentences. I’ll still flag stuff if I find it, but at this point, I shouldn’t find much. 

Time Estimate: 1-2 weeks

 What it is: A manuscript assessment is a quick look at your manuscript to let you know what you need next so you can plan your next steps.

Who you are: You’re an author who has written a manuscript, but you’re not really sure what to do next. 

What your book looks like: It’s done. You’ve probably edited it yourself and may have had some friends read it. The consensus is that it’s good, but it could be great. You’re just not sure how to get it there.

How I’ll help: I’ll tell you what to do next. I’ll let you know if there are big-picture things you can fix yourself or if a developmental or line edit makes sense for you.

What this step doesn’t include: Actual editing. I’ll give you some high-level stuff you can do, and I’ll recommend the level of editing you may need, but I won’t do the actual editing in this step. 

Time estimate: 1-2 weeks

 What it is: Beta reading is a read-through for overall feel, big-picture suggestions, and completeness.

Who you are: You’re an author who is somewhere in the editing process, and you want to make sure your book is going to resonate with your target audience.

What your book looks like: It’s done and ready for editing. It may have been through a developmental edit or possibly even a line edit. 

How I’ll help: I’ll tell you what I love and what might not work for your readers. 

What this step doesn’t include: Editing or planning. It’s simply a read-through to help you verify that your work is indeed on the right track and there’s nothing you’re overlooking. 

Time Estimate: 1-2 weeks